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EUTELSAT
Announces
Launch
of
France's
DTT
on
Atlantic
Bird
3
8
April
2009
Eutelsat
Communications
announced
the
upcoming
launch
of
France’s
free
Digital
Terrestrial
Television
(DTT)
channels
via
its
ATLANTIC
BIRD™
3
satellite.
The
new
offer,
called
FRANSAT™,
will
be
available
from
June.
Eutelsat’s
5°
West
neighbourhood,
which
is
occupied
by
ATLANTIC
BIRD™
3,
has
operated
as a
complement
to France’s terrestrial
broadcasting
network
for
more
than
20
years
by
delivering
channels
direct
by
satellite
to
homes
located
beyond
terrestrial
reception.
The
transition
to
digital
of
this
key
French
neighbourhood
in
the
analogue
world
is a
logical
step.
It
reflects
the
‘Digital
France
2012
Plan’
and
the
new
broadcasting
law
of 5
March
2009,
which
aim
to
offer
a
solution
to
homes
in
areas
with
poor
terrestrial
reception
to
access
DTT
channels
without
incurring
the
extra
cost
of
adjusting
their
existing
dish
installation.
France’s free analogue channels will
remain
available
via
ATLANTIC
BIRD™
3.
The
majority
of France’s 18 free-to-air DTT channels
are
already
transmitting
from
Eutelsat’s
ATLANTIC
BIRD™
3
satellite.
Assembled
by
Eutelsat
in
the
FRANSAT™
platform,
the
18
channels
will
be
available
from
June
with
no
subscription
fee
to
all
homes
equipped
with
a
dish
pointed
towards
ATLANTIC
BIRD™
3
and
a
FRANSAT™
kit
comprising
a
digital
decoder
and
access
card.
In
addition
to
the
18
Standard
Definition
DTT
channels,
FRANSAT™
will
enable
reception
of
the
four
free
DTT
channels
broadcast
in
HDTV:
TF1
HD,
France
2
HD,
Arte
HD
and
M6
HD.
On
sale
for
99
euros
(recommended
retail
price),
the
non-proprietary
FRANSAT™
decoders
will
be
produced
by
multiple
suppliers.
In
addition
to
decrypting
channels,
the
decoders
will
facilitate
automatic
channel
numbering
and
provide
a
parental
lock.
The
platform
will
be
encrypted,
available
without
subscription,
and
reserved
for
homes
in
metropolitan France.
Commenting
on
the
announcement,
Giuliano
Berretta,
Chairman
and
CEO
of
Eutelsat
Communications,
said:
“By
offering
all
French
free
DTT
channels
to
homes
beyond
range
of
terrestrial
reception
Eutelsat
is
demonstrating
its
ambition
to
accompany
the
transition
to
digital
for
all
French
homes,
and
to
pursue
the
universal
service
mission
of
the
5°
West
neighbourhood.
With
FRANSAT™
satellite
technology
is
once
again
showing
how
it
complements
terrestrial
networks
and
plays
a
key
role
at
the
heart
of
the
digital
economy.
By
accelerating
the
digitisation
process
of
our
longstanding
installed
base
of
antennas
pointed
towards
5°
West,
we
are
consolidating
this
neighbourhood’s
role
as a
major
video
pole
for
the
French
market
and
providing
a
valuable
new
opportunity
for
our
client
operators
to
develop
digital
services.”
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